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I hope you enjoy my most recent music video, this one for Texas band RJV & Hell County Revival…

I’m not sure how obvious some of the filming and editing techniques are, but you’ll notice the scenes of the random people hugging are all shot with a very low-fi look to them, like friends were filming them with an iphone or something.  Contrast that to the smoother, higher quality look of the band playing, and it helps tell the story better, in my opinion.  What are your thoughts?  By the way, the song is pretty great, isn’t it?

I don’t do many public selfie photos, maybe a couple on my personal facebook page (sorry, but I won’t add you) and one or two on my Instagram feed (found @janikphoto).  But, I do like sharing pictures of me that others have taken.  Here’s one from last Thanksgiving that my 5-year-old son took.  I think he did a great job behind the lens, as he captured me behind my lens!

Then the issue came to my mailbox this weekend.  I was almost dreading it.  I had worked it up in my mind over the last month, to the point that I was sure the image would just plain suck!  Not so.  I turned to page 32 and saw it.  Sure, it isn’t the piece that I’ll be remembered by when I die, but it’s a “real” photo.  After reading the story, I realized that sticking with my heart was the correct thing to do.  Had I forced my subject to be overly wild and crazy, the image wouldn’t have been honest.  It wouldn’t have fit the story.  He’s a great, straight-forward, engaging guy and the image needed to reflect that.

I guess it just goes to show:  Don’t fear any photograph, just because it’s not over-the-top.  If you captured honesty and reality, the image will stand on its own.  It also shows how neurotic artists can get!

Terminator 2, a very loud Denton, TX band, was a blast to photograph for the last Dallas Observer cover.  Sure, it was freezing outside, but who cares?!?  I wanted to capture the essence of the North Texas noise-filled, metal, art-rock(ish) trio.  I wanted to balance the band’s drive for artistic expression with their “we don’t care” attitude towards publicity and band promotion.  They are one of those bands that really cares about their music, and wants to be discovered the hard way – one new audience member at a time.

What better way to convey that feeling on film than to harken back to the images of early 1990’s Seattle?  This is my homage to the era of “we are playing music for the fans, and not the man”.  I think it works.  Just as the grunge, noise rock, and hard rock bands from twenty years ago could say so much in their images without doing a thing, I feel like this photo conveys much more than just three guys doing nothing.  I think it has energy.  I think it has a whole story.  I like it!

OK, so photographer Peter Hurley talks like he made up the word, even though squinch has been in the dictionary for years.  But, that doesn’t matter.  What DOES matter is that he points out a fact that’s all too common among non-professional photo subjects… the deer in the headlights look!  He has a simple way to help subjects cure this problem – the squinch!

Here is another feature story I shot for Cowboys & Indians magazine.  I may be more known for photographing people, but I sometimes do a fun product shoot.  This was a great one, getting to turn a bunch of Dallas’ finest southwestern jewelry into a Christmas wreath!